-
Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.
Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
Making-of-pics - how do you take your pictures? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter TobiasK
- Start date
Keith Reeder
Watch the birdie...
Hi Mike,
don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking hides/outdoor studios, but there's only so many times I can look at another bird on the same branch or in the same puddle without finding myself switching off...
Still, you do whatever works for you. If I could set up a hide for my local waders I might feel differently!
The Frypod
don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking hides/outdoor studios, but there's only so many times I can look at another bird on the same branch or in the same puddle without finding myself switching off...
Still, you do whatever works for you. If I could set up a hide for my local waders I might feel differently!
The Frypod
Last edited:
mike from ebbw
Well-known member
I agree.It does get boring seeing the same perches.I am always looking for different branches,twigs and logs etc just for something different.I also dislike birds on feeders,give me a natural perch anyday.Hi Mike,
don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking hides/outdoor studios, but there's only so many times I can look at another bird on the same branch or in the same puddle without finding myself switching off...
Still, you do whatever works for you. If I could set up a hide for my local waders I might feel differently!
The Frypod
I dont do a lot with waders (I dont live near the coast) but the way I took my recent LRP shots were dressed in camo and lying prone under some scrim net.I just waited until the bird came within range and bingo!
kittykat23uk
Well-known member
The recent godwits I posted were taken from the hides at Cley>
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8773601@N03/sets/72157601096224463/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8773601@N03/sets/72157601096224463/
kittykat23uk
Well-known member
Okay here is another example of a rabbit I shot in the woods. The first shot shows where I was in relation to the rabbit (position of rabbit circled in red) Basically, I was above, looking down into woodland.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8773601@N03/977897783
This is the rabbit digiscoped, straight out of the camera:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8773601@N03/977898159/in/photostream/
The final image with red eye reduction and sharpening applied:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8773601@N03/977898263/in/photostream/
:cat:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8773601@N03/977897783
This is the rabbit digiscoped, straight out of the camera:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8773601@N03/977898159/in/photostream/
The final image with red eye reduction and sharpening applied:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8773601@N03/977898263/in/photostream/
:cat:
Great photos, Tobias.
I've never seen a portable hide here in Texas; I'd think the heat and humidity would make using one extremely uncomfortable. The crawling method wouldn't be advisable here either: You'd be too likely to crawl into a nest of chiggers or fire ants, or to come face-to-face with a copperhead or cottonmouth or rattlesnake!
Jeff
I've never seen a portable hide here in Texas; I'd think the heat and humidity would make using one extremely uncomfortable. The crawling method wouldn't be advisable here either: You'd be too likely to crawl into a nest of chiggers or fire ants, or to come face-to-face with a copperhead or cottonmouth or rattlesnake!
Jeff
DOC
Well-known member
A very interesting and important thread . Usually professional photographers are not keen on sharing their secrets , but I myself as an amatuer am most willing to do so .
I find hides and camo to be very usefull in getting good close-ups.
Walking with a camera and shooting birds is OK , but the bird might be too far away in the photo - demanding heavy cropping later....
So here goes ( since I cannot upload more than 5 images at a time - I'll write 3 replies with 3 different techniques )
I try to look for different perches every time I set up a stage .
1- Shooting at home : I put up a stage outside my window, I plan the position and BG with the sun in the right angle.It'll usually take a day or two untill the birds get used to the perch and just fly in to land.
I find hides and camo to be very usefull in getting good close-ups.
Walking with a camera and shooting birds is OK , but the bird might be too far away in the photo - demanding heavy cropping later....
So here goes ( since I cannot upload more than 5 images at a time - I'll write 3 replies with 3 different techniques )
I try to look for different perches every time I set up a stage .
1- Shooting at home : I put up a stage outside my window, I plan the position and BG with the sun in the right angle.It'll usually take a day or two untill the birds get used to the perch and just fly in to land.
Attachments
DOC
Well-known member
2- Shooting from the car .
This is a very popular method - and very usefull at times .
Here you can see the perches stuck in the bank of the pool , and in the Bg you can see the small Kingfisher . If all goes well :t: - he'll land on the desired perch and position .( Marked with a circle )
This is a very popular method - and very usefull at times .
Here you can see the perches stuck in the bank of the pool , and in the Bg you can see the small Kingfisher . If all goes well :t: - he'll land on the desired perch and position .( Marked with a circle )
Attachments
DOC
Well-known member
3- Shooting from a hide .
I love it , but the main problem is the heat . I live in a sunny state and you cannot stay in the hide for more than a couple of hours in the summer . Luckily , migration season is cooler and then you can enjoy the hide.
Here's an example of a friend and me shooting some Stilts - each of us inside a camo tent - - a very good position for some low angle photos.
I love it , but the main problem is the heat . I live in a sunny state and you cannot stay in the hide for more than a couple of hours in the summer . Luckily , migration season is cooler and then you can enjoy the hide.
Here's an example of a friend and me shooting some Stilts - each of us inside a camo tent - - a very good position for some low angle photos.
Attachments
Adey Baker
Member
I agree with Keith on the procession of different birds on the same branch, etc! It's not seen as often as it used to be but there's still plenty out there!
For many of us the use of a hide isn't really an option - I do most of my photography in areas with public access so leaving a hide in position isn't possible and even working from a temporary portable hide will attract the curious onlooker sooner or later! The car makes a useful temporary hide in some situations, though - I've got a few good 'carpark' shots.
For me, the best chance of getting a shot when something poses within range is familiarising myself with my equipment so that I'm not fumbling around trying to adjust settings during those few vital seconds, and keeping the settings adjusted to suit the conditions (i.e. changing the ISO as soon as the light-levels change rather than waiting for the bird to appear and then worrying about it!)
For many of us the use of a hide isn't really an option - I do most of my photography in areas with public access so leaving a hide in position isn't possible and even working from a temporary portable hide will attract the curious onlooker sooner or later! The car makes a useful temporary hide in some situations, though - I've got a few good 'carpark' shots.
For me, the best chance of getting a shot when something poses within range is familiarising myself with my equipment so that I'm not fumbling around trying to adjust settings during those few vital seconds, and keeping the settings adjusted to suit the conditions (i.e. changing the ISO as soon as the light-levels change rather than waiting for the bird to appear and then worrying about it!)
TobiasK
Well-known member
Hi
very nice pics Doc :t:
may i show your pics at another forum?
at
http://www.dforum.net/showthread.php?t=503656
we are collecting all sorts of making-of-pics
of course i would post your name to show whom the pics belong to
would be really nice
thank you
Tobias
very nice pics Doc :t:
may i show your pics at another forum?
at
http://www.dforum.net/showthread.php?t=503656
we are collecting all sorts of making-of-pics
of course i would post your name to show whom the pics belong to
would be really nice
thank you
Tobias
hillie
Well-known member
Very interesting thread.
I like shooting from a hide, especially for small birds, Wrens, Robins etc.
I have a portable hide I purchased from USA, but I also use a cheap tent (£15) as seen in the photo. The tent is 3 meters from the branch. Its covered with some Realtree but I not sure if you need it. I think the secret is no fast movements. Shutter noise this close has not been a problem. The camera and lens are mounted on a tripod at its lowest position and I sit on the ground using an angle finder. That way, you’re at the same level as the birds. They seem to land on the branch first and then onto the pond. It can get a bit boring sometimes but other times the camera can just about keep up.
Shots of the Wren and Robin have not been cropped or resized only reduced of the web.
I like shooting from a hide, especially for small birds, Wrens, Robins etc.
I have a portable hide I purchased from USA, but I also use a cheap tent (£15) as seen in the photo. The tent is 3 meters from the branch. Its covered with some Realtree but I not sure if you need it. I think the secret is no fast movements. Shutter noise this close has not been a problem. The camera and lens are mounted on a tripod at its lowest position and I sit on the ground using an angle finder. That way, you’re at the same level as the birds. They seem to land on the branch first and then onto the pond. It can get a bit boring sometimes but other times the camera can just about keep up.
Shots of the Wren and Robin have not been cropped or resized only reduced of the web.
Attachments
I do not use a blind, though I have often thought about purchasing one. Right now I feel I'm packing to much stuff around so the blind is out for now. What I have started using is a big piece of camo cloth. You simply wrap it around around yourself with the end of the lens sticking out. I often try to cover a lot of ground however there are cases when you find something extra special and you want to get better images. For this case I select a good location then cover myself in the camo cloth. After things settle down I often get some great photo ops, especially images where my subjects look more relaxed. The camo cloth is cheap and portable (fits easily in a pack).
I've also put camo lens covers on my lens and find this make a big difference. As a Canon user I found that a big white (pretty much the universal danger color) object was deterimental.
I've also put camo lens covers on my lens and find this make a big difference. As a Canon user I found that a big white (pretty much the universal danger color) object was deterimental.
OK I'll give it a try.
First of all most of my pictures are taken on my own land. I live on 62
acres of wooded land surrounded by thousands of acres of wild land so I
rarely have to go far for pictures.
Don't use a hide and, in fact, most of my pics are taken from one of
three porches on my house.
All were taken with a DSLR coupled to an assortment of spotters and
astro scopes of various configurations. This gives me magnifications
from 15x to 60x but have found about 30x most useful.
SF
First of all most of my pictures are taken on my own land. I live on 62
acres of wooded land surrounded by thousands of acres of wild land so I
rarely have to go far for pictures.
Don't use a hide and, in fact, most of my pics are taken from one of
three porches on my house.
All were taken with a DSLR coupled to an assortment of spotters and
astro scopes of various configurations. This gives me magnifications
from 15x to 60x but have found about 30x most useful.
SF
Attachments
I have had tons of these using trail cameras. While many are not suitable for framing, it can be allot of fun.
I've recently been visiting a public feeding station where you can take photos from the car. The problem I was having was that the birds spent most of the time on a bird table, which wasn't ideal for photos. So I got a small log, drilled some holes along one side and packs it with food. I then screwed a quick release plate onto the bottom so that I could tripod mount it and place it where I wanted. I set it up next to one of the bird tables and the birds soon started using it. Now I'm planning to make some more similar perches.
The attached photos show the prop in place and a couple of birds using it.
The attached photos show the prop in place and a couple of birds using it.
Attachments
Roy C
Occasional bird snapper
Nice idea Peter, I have been thinking of doing something similar at home in my garden.
Similar threads
